by Merry Farmer
“You look like a princess, content with her kingdom,” Fabian said, striding out onto the veranda. He held a packet of letters, and as he came to sit on the chaise at her feet, he handed one to her.
“I am content with my kingdom,” she said, closing her book and attempting to lean toward him for a kiss.
Fabian spared her having to struggle by inching closer and kissing her. She sank back against her cushions with a happy sigh.
That happiness was dented somewhat when his expression turned suddenly serious.
“What is it?” she asked, glancing to the letter he’d handed her with alarm. It bore postage marks from someplace called St. Kitts.
Before she could ask about that, Fabian said, “I’ve had a letter from your Uncle Richard.”
St. Kitts was forgotten. Alice blinked and shifted to sit straighter. “Why would Uncle Richard be writing to you?”
Fabian hesitated before saying, “He was uncertain how you would take the news of your father’s death.”
Twin sensations of shock and relief hit Alice. She let out a breath and sagged into her pillows. “Thank God.”
Fabian’s brow inched up. “You are not upset?”
Alice considered his question. “I am sad,” she decided. “But more over the fact that he was such a horrible man, a man who wasted his life.” She paused then asked, “How did he die?”
Fabian continued to look uncertain. “It is believed he took his own life after a night of drinking and gambling in which he lost more than he was worth.”
Heaviness descended on Alice’s shoulders and she lowered her head. “I wish I could say I was surprised.”
“But you’re not,” Fabian said. It wasn’t a question. He shifted closer to her, cleared his throat, and nodded to the letter in her hands. “That one baffles me. Who would be writing to you from the Caribbean?”
Alice blinked and glanced from the letter to Fabian and back again. “Is that where St. Kitts is?”
“Yes.” Fabian’s smile returned. “Open it.”
Alice instantly tore into the letter. “It must be from Lettuce,” she said. “She’s the only person I know outside of Europe and—” She gasped as she recognized her sister’s handwriting. “It is from Lettuce.”
“Go on,” Fabian said with a grin, prompting her.
Alice scanned the first few lines, then read. “Dearest Alice. I was surprised and delighted to hear from Imogen that you have left England for Italy. I’d sent a letter to you at home, but I’m sure you haven’t received it. So I shall have to write my entire story over again.”
“Story?” Fabian asked. “What story?”
Alice glanced up at him, then continued. “I have been through an adventure like nothing you could ever imagine in the last year, like something out of a fairy story. It began with a miserable marriage to a vain and abusive groom of father’s choosing and took a turn for the worse as my horrible husband dragged me onto a ship bound for America. But everything changed when the pirates attacked….”
I hope you have enjoyed Alice and Fabian’s story! But I just know you’re dying to hear what happened to Lettuce. Well, Lettuce’s story, The Captured Vixen, is available as part of the Once Upon a Pirate box set!
And if you would like to read about Imogen and Thaddeus, be sure to look for The Faithful Siren.
If you’re interested in reading about the wild, summer house party thrown by the Herringtons, the party where Alice and Fabian met, be sure to look for the House Party trilogy of the When the Wallflowers were Wicked series: The Devilish Trollop, The Playful Wanton, and The Charming Jezebel, all available now!
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About the Author
I hope you have enjoyed The Holiday Hussy. If you’d like to be the first to learn about when new books in the series come out and more, please sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/cbaVMH And remember, Read it, Review it, Share it! For a complete list of works by Merry Farmer with links, please visit http://wp.me/P5ttjb-14F.
Merry Farmer is an award-winning novelist who lives in suburban Philadelphia with her cats, Torpedo, her grumpy old man, and Justine, her hyperactive new baby. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized one day that she didn't have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. She then went on to earn not one but two degrees in History so that she would always have something to write about. Her books have reached the Top 100 at Amazon, iBooks, and Barnes & Noble, and have been named finalists in the prestigious RONE and Rom Com Reader’s Crown awards.
Acknowledgments
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my awesome beta-readers, Caroline Lee and Jolene Stewart, for their suggestions and advice. And double thanks to Julie Tague, for being a truly excellent editor and assistant! Thanks also to the members of the Historical Harlots Facebook Group, who provide me with all sorts of inspiration!
Click here for a complete list of other works by Merry Farmer.